BY BAG
CR 13/581/79
C Stitt Esq SEAD
PCO
W 1724A
Ir weeks. PA
(with de backqund
notant mentioned S
Aw
28 September 1979
Tho
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG:
BACKGROUND MATERIAL
I attach an unclassified fact sheet on Vietnamese refugees covering arrivals and departures up to 26 September. In this the arrival figures in July have been corrected because of the 759 (including some children born in Hong Kong) who were discovered to have been previously resettled in China, and vho vera returned to China with the agreement of the Chinese authorities. The Fact sheet can be passed to anyone shoving an interest in the refugce problem, We shall be updating it regularly, and the next issue vill include a detailed breakdown of departure destinations. We should be grateful for any comments which you or other recipients may have on material which might usefully be included.
2-
The fact sheet is intended, es the mase implies, to provide basically neutral background. But we have also recently encourages, and helped in the production of, two short publications (copies also attached) put out by our Hong Kong Community Committee for the Resettlement of Vietnamese Refugees. This committee, under the Governor's chairmanship brings together representatives of the Churches, the service organizations such as Rotary and the Liors, and the voluntary agencies involved locally in refugee vork. These leaflets have a more overtly 'publicity' character, and the organizations represented on the committee have sent copies to their sister organizat- ions abroad mainly in the major resettlement countries -- to help stimulate interest in Hong Kong's place in the refugee picture. You may find these useful for the came purpose; but we would be grateful if, in any such use, you or posts would draw attention to their Community, rather than Hong Kong Government, origin. (we do not want to burden you with unnecessary copies; but if posts would find further supplies useful, please let us know.)
3.
I also enclose copies of the first two issues of the trilingual occasional newspaper 'Hope' published by Dr Karl Stumpf of the Hong Kong Christian service for distribution in our refugee camps here.
(L W Boyes)
Temporary Assistant Political Adviser
/Distribution.....